Second Runner Out of Chicquita to Debut at Leopardstown
Image:
Description:
Photo: Chad B. Harmon
Chicquita trains ahead of the 2014 Breeders' Cup Turf at Santa Anita Park
Nicest—arguably the best-bred youngster entrusted to Donnacha O'Brien by the Coolmore partners—will make her first appearance in the mile Decorated Knight Irish EBF Fillies Maiden at Leopardstown July 23.
The American Pharoah filly is the second foal out of the Montjeu mare Chicquita, the Darley Irish Oaks (G1) heroine who set a European auction record when sold for €6 million (US$8,088,600) as part of the Paulyn dispersal at the Goffs November Sale in 2013.
O'Brien is familiar with the family, having ridden the mare's first runner, the War Front filly Secret Thoughts, to win a Naas maiden before the pair finished third in the Jockey Club of Turkey Silver Flash Stakes (G3) at Leopardstown.
The Coolmore-bred Nicest will be ridden by five-pound claimer Gavin Ryan and faces no easy task on debut.
O'Brien's brother Joseph saddles the unraced Siyouni filly Lovely Esteem, a €460,000 ($510,186) purchase at last year's Arqana August Yearling Sale.
Their father, Aidan, meanwhile, fields the newcomer Simply Incredible, a Galileo filly out of Race for the Stars, a group 3 winner who has already produced two runners with a three-figure Racing Post Rating in Sir John Lavery and Momentus.
Of those with experience, the Ger Lyons-trained Talacre is a Flintshire half sister to Siskin who finished second on her only start at Bellewstown, while the Aidan O'Brien-trained Willow is an American Pharoah filly out of Peeping Fawn who was fourth at the Curragh on her only prior outing.
Peeping Fawn, who precedes Chicquita on the Irish Oaks roll of honor, has produced three runners with a three-figure RPR headed by the multiple group/grade 1-placed September.
The Irish National Stud is sponsoring the race and is running a Twitter competition asking bloodstock fans to correctly predict the outcome.